In some cases, a fake email is obvious. The sender isn’t familiar; it is written in broken English; and/or it is asking for money or personal data.

However, in other cases, an email may have the ring of familiarity, which leads the recipient to click on an attachment.

It is only later that the recipient realizes data has been compromised or money has been lost.

Since this scenario is becoming more and more common, Office Products Inc. now offers a product to alleviate the problem. It is called KnowBe4.

“This is an interactive training course that a company can use to monitor itself,” said Joey Bahr, OPI technology sales manager. “We can train you how to use it, which doesn’t take very long. KnowBe4 is well-designed and user-friendly.”

The product is available to companies that have at least 25 users with email addresses specific to the business. A company can set it up and administer the software on its own, or OPI can handle everything.

“Anyone with sensitive data could benefit from this,” Bahr said. “You can spend thousands of dollars on security but if you click on the wrong attachment, it is not going to help.”

For example, in Kansas recently someone received an email that appeared to be a legitimate invoice. And the invoice was paid.

“But it was a scam and they just lost the money,” Bahr said. “This happens when an email appears to be from a friend or colleague.”

Bahr emphasized that email recipients should look at the sender’s address if they have any doubts at all. The address could be correct, in part, but a closer look reveals that a few characters have been changed.

Initial training for KnowBe4 covers the basics, said Michael Juergensen, OPI technology sales representative. Juergensen and Patrick Jacobs, service technician, are the go-to guys for KnowBe4.

“This amazing software is interactive and adapts over time to keep the client up-to-date,” Juergensen said. “Tests can be sent out from time to time so that users can take full advantage of the software.”

KnowBe4 is sold annually in a variety of tiers, depending on varying needs; the user renews after each year.

“Initially, we can run a free test to get a report of your status,” Juergensen said. “But this test will not reveal everything. The software is capable of letting you know who is clicking on emails and who might need extra training.

“We want to help you decrease the number of human errors caused by absent-minded clicking and learn to detect a scam. KnowBe4 lets you know if you should be suspicious of certain emails. You need more than a Fort Knox type of security wall to protect your company and data.”

OPI is located at 1204 Main in Great Bend; 516 Broadway in Larned; and 724 N. Main in Russell.

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